The National Leader in Sustainable Initiatives

The new Sustainable Airport Manual (SAM) was released on August 5, 2009 at the “Airports Going Green” conference. The purpose of the SAM is to integrate airport-specific sustainable planning and practice into everyday functions of an airport.

The SAM is an expansion and enhancement of the 2003 OMP Sustainable Design Manual (SDM). The SAM incorporates best practices, new technologies and lessons learned from six years of design and construction on the OMP. The manual is intended to be a living document, one that will continue to grow and develop, representing emerging new technologies state-of-the-art design and thought-provoking sustainable initiatives. Additional SAM chapters are being created to incorporate sustainability into airport planning, daily operations and maintenance, as well as concessions and tenants.

The creation of SAM has been a collaborative effort with contributions from airport executives, environmental experts and industry leaders from across the U.S. and around the world. Representatives from major airports have participated in the process, including: Paris-Charles de Gaulle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Reno-Tahoe, Portland, Oakland, Seattle-Tacoma, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Boston-Logan, Atlanta-Hartsfield, St. Louis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Baltimore-Washington and Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

The implementation of O'Hare Modernization Program (OMP) sustainable initiatives have resulted in tremendous efficiencies in construction in terms of cost savings; reduced use of natural resources; and using newer and best available practices including:

  • Recovered and reused 95 percent of all concrete, asphalt, and dirt on-site, diverting from landfills and realizing almost $3 million in savings.
  • Implemented a balanced earthwork plan by managing excess materials and soil on-site, saving at least $100 million.
  • Over 32,000 square feet of green roofs in place to-date, including Mt. Prospect Road guard post, South Airfield Electrical Lighting Control Vault, and the first green roof on a FAA Airport Traffic Control Tower base building in the country.
  • Required newer, more efficient, cleaner construction vehicles and fuels. All construction vehicles use ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel and all but the newest construction vehicles were retrofitted to reduce emissions and energy use.
  • Reduced energy use through installation of LED energy efficient taxiway edge lighting and high efficiency variable speed pumps on detention basins.
  • Replacing 154 acres of low quality, inaccessible wetlands currently on Airport property with nearly 450 acres of higher quality wetlands throughout the region.

Update on Sustainable Initiatives - February 2, 2010